Automobile bug deflector



June 24, 1952 J. s. Klsl-z 2,601,401

AUTOMOBILE BUG DEFLECTOR Filed May 7, 1951 /55 INVENToR.

Patented June 24, 1952 OFFICE AUTOMOBILE BUG DEFLECTOR John S. Kish, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to Emanuel E. Evans, Poland, Ohio Application May 7, 1951, Serial No. 224,963

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a bug deflector for positioning on the hood of an automobile in front of the windshield for deflecting air currents.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a bug deflector which may be secured to the ornamental moulding strip on the hood of an automobile.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bug deiiector which may be moulded of a single piece of suitable plastic material and provided with a pair of metal clamping pieces registrable beneath the ornamental moulding strip on the hood of an automobile.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved clamp for a bug deiiector with respect to the clamping means disclosed in my Patent No. 2,515,604, issued July 18, 1950.

The present invention relates to an improved bug deector and specifically in the means attaching the bug deector to the ornamental moulding strip running longitudinally of the hood of an automobile. A bug deector of general size and shape of that disclosed herein is shown in my Patent No. 2,515,604, issued July 18, 1950, and which bug deflector has proven the utility of the idea in general in that it has become commercially successful and Widely used for the indicated purpose. The bug deflector in my aforementioned patent is clamped to the ornamental moulding on the hood of an automobile forwardly of the windshield by means of an inverted U-shaped clamp, the arms of which are inturned at their lowermost ends for engagement beneath the moulding strip on the automobile hood or for engagement around the ornament on the hood of an automobile. The present invention contemplates a modification of this structure in that the U-shaped clamp portion is formed integrally with the moulding plastic sheet of the bug deflector and the inturned lower end portions thereof are formed separately and frictionally afxed to the moulded part and so arranged in oppositely disposed relation to one another that they may be positioned beneath the moulding strip on the hood of an automobile thereby securing the bug deliector in position in front of the windshield where it is useful in deflecting air currents, bugs and snow and the like carried by such air currents and thereby avoids the impingement of such objects with the windshield.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the front portion of an automobile showing the bug deiiector in position on the hood thereof.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the bug deliector.

Figure 3 is a side view of the bug deflector.

Figure 4 is a top view of the bug deflector.

By referring to'the drawings and Figure 1 in particular it will be observed that an automobile generally indicated by the numeral I0 is partially illustrated and includes a windshield II. The hood I2 extends forwardly from the Windshield II as is customary and is provided with a longitudinally extending, centrally located'moulding strip I3. A bug deflector comprising a deflector portion I4 preferably formed of transparent plastic material is positioned vertically on the hood I2 transversely of the moulding strip I3 and forwardly of the windshield II by means of a pair of oppositely disposed inturned clamps I5 as best shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings.

The deflector portion I4 is preferably formed as a rectangular moulded section of transparent plastic material having a rearwardly extending inverted U-shaped member I6 integrally formed therewith and preferably tapered from a narrow uppermost portion to a relatively wide lowermost portion as best shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The lowermost portion of the inverted U-shaped member I6 is formed in two oppositely disposed outturned ends I'I which are also integrally formed with the inverted U-shaped body member I6 and the deflector portion I4 and the material of the deiiector portion I4 is cut away in an arouate notch I8 between the inner surfaces of the inverted U-shaped body member I6 so that clearance is provided with respect to the moulding strip I3 on the automobile hood I2 heretofore referred to.

It will thus be observed that the structure now described can be moulded in a single piece of a suitable plastic material and at relatively low cost and that the structure may be positioned on the hood of an automobile straddling the longitudinally extending ornamental moulding thereon. In order that this structure may be secured to the hood of an automobile and specifically the ornamental moulding I3, the pair of clamps I 5 are provided, each of which is of modied U-shape in side elevation, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, and each of which is formed with one of the arms of the U relatively shorter than the other. In the drawings the shorter arms are indicated by the numerals ISA and the outermost ends of the longer arms by the numerals IBB. The clamps I5 are positioned on the ends I1 so that they envelop theoutturned portions thereof with the short arms I5A lying on top of the ends II and the longer arms I5B lying beneath the ends I1 and extending inwardly beneath the ornamental moulding strip I3.

The innermost ends of the arms ISA are downturned as shown at I5C and are adapted to register with grooves formed in the ends I1 of the inverted U-shaped body member I6. The clamps l5 are thus capable of retaining themselves in position on the ends Il and additionally the ends I1 may be provided with openings in their uppermost surfaces into which portions of the clamps I5 may be indented if desired'.V

It will occur to those skilledv in the art that in positioning the bug deflector on an automobile hoodit is necessary to loosen the moulding strip I3 with respect to the hood after which the deiiector portion I4 is positioned transversely thereof and the clamps I5 positioned partially beneath the loosened moulding strip I3 and then slid into position over the ends I1 of the inverted U -shaped body member I6 after which, the ornamental moulding strip I3 is again tightened thereby holding the. bugl deiector` securely in position onV the hood;

It willthus be. seen that a simple and enicient means of mounting a bug deflector onthe moulding strip of the hood ofan automobile has been disclosed and which means may be more economically formed than the clamping means shown in my aforesaid patent. v

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim is:

1; The combination of an` automobile having a windshield anda hood infront thereof and an ornamental moulding on saidhood, a sheetv of transparent plasticmaterial and means for mounting the same` in approximately vertical position transversely of the hood and spaced in front of said windshield andon saidornamen- 4 tal moulding, said sheet of transparent material having a centrally disposed rearwardly extending inverted U-shaped member. the ends of which are outturned, said means comprising a pair of clamps of general U-shape, one of the arms of each of the clamps being longer than the other and said clamps engaged upon said outturned ends with the longer arms extending inwardly for registry beneath the ornamental moulding.

2. A bug deflector for attachment to an automobile hood having an ornamental moulding thereon and extending longitudinally and centrally ofthesides thereof, said bug deector including a sheet of material having a rearwardlyl projecting inverted U-shaped member formed integrally therewith, the lower ends thereof of which are outturned, and means for mounting said sheet of material on said ornamental moulding, said means comprising a pair of clamps one of which is engaged cn each of said outturned ends and each'of which includes an inwardly extending portion for registry beneath said ornamental' mouldingI and supportirlgsaidv sheet. in approximately vertical relation thereabove and transversely with respectto said moulding and hood.

3. TheY bug deflector set' forth in claim 2 and further characterized by the: formation of the sheet of material andthe U-shaped body member thereon of transparent flexible material- 4. The bug deector set forth in claim 2 and further characterized by the formation of the clamps as flattened semi-.U -shaped members, one ofthe arms of each of which is longer' than the other, said clamps disposed on the outturned ends of the U-shaped body member with the longer arms disposed therebeneath and for regi istry beneath the ornamental moulding.

Y 5. The bug deiiector set forth in c1aim;2V and further characterized by the formation o the` clamps with portions thereof. registering; with portions of the outturned ends of said body JOHN S. KISH.

Noreferences cited. 

